Friends of the Central Experimental Farm

Friends of the
Central Experimental Farm
Spring 2014 Newsletter
Peonies at the Farm
R. Hinchcliff
By Bill Wegman
Volume 26 No. 2
‘Nice Gal’
he presence of peonies at the Central Experimental Farm
dates back to the 1890s and the early days of the experimental farm system in Canada, when the first director,
Dr. William Saunders, assembled and planted a collection of
150 different cultivars for evaluation. It must certainly have been
one of the most outstanding collections of peonies in Canada at
the time and likely would have mainly consisted of the highly
popular and wonderfully fragrant double lactifloras.
T
A broad representation of peonies
Today, the Friends of the Farm help maintain a collection of
over 400 different named varieties and a total of 600 plants
consisting of a wide variety of styles and types. The bulk of the
current collection is a broad representation of peonies developed
from the late 19th century on – the classic old French and English
peonies of Lemoine and Kelway. You may
know some of them, such as ‘Sarah
Bernhardt’, ‘Le Cygne’, ‘Primevere’,
‘Baroness Schroeder’ and ‘Pride of
Langport’, to name only a few.
A collection of Professor A. P. Saunders’
peonies has been deliberately assembled
over the years. Now totalling 105 different
cultivars, we believe it to be the largest such
collection in Canada. Growing up in
London, Ontario, and during his university
vacations spent at the Farm in Ottawa,
Professor Saunders would have learned the
technique of cross pollination of flower
blooms from his father, William, who
experimented in plant breeding. Widely
known and respected as a peony breeder,
Professor Saunders was one of the first to
use the then recently available species plants
to produce earlier blooming varieties and to
bring a wider spectrum of colours into the
peony world.
The origin of one of the Farm’s
Saunders peonies is particularly closely
connected to the Farm. In 1928 Saunders
wrote that he had taken “some pollen of the
species P. coriacea from a plant at the
Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Canada” and
used it on the lactiflora ‘James Kelway’ to
get a true lavender coloured peony, which
he named ‘Lavender’.
In the 20th century, American nurserymen working
concurrently with Saunders concentrated on producing the large
doubles because that is what the market demanded at the time,
cultivars such as ‘Florence Nicholls’, ’Gay Paree’ and ‘Red Charm’.
Like the earlier French and English peonies, they were developed
for the cut flower market, so their weak stems were not a great
concern because they are cut earlier, at late bud stage and placed
into cold storage.
Not all of these peonies were developed by professional
nurserymen – some were produced by home gardeners whose
cultivars are well represented in the Farm’s peony garden.
Nathan Rudolph of Aurora, Illinois, developed the peony
‘America’, which is likely our most outstanding red variety. And
not all producers were men – Mrs. Mary Freeborn of Proctor,
Vermont, registered 22 cultivars and the peony garden hosts her
best two ‘Angelo Cobb Freeborn’ and ‘Pico’.
Continued on Page 3
Page 2
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
President's message - Note du président
A Prime Destination
here is renewed interest in making
the Central Experimental Farm a
prime destination for visitors to the
National Capital Region. From spring to
fall, the Friends of the Farm have projects
underway to enhance visits to the
Arboretum, Ornamental Gardens and the
Merivale Shelterbelt, and with Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada are planning new
structures, benches, programs, information
aids and plant areas under the 2017
program. AAFC is also developing tools
such as a self-guided tour that will lead
visitors around the Farm, pointing out
highlights.
Other groups are also building public
interest in the Farm. The reincarnation of
the Agriculture Museum as the Canada
Agriculture and Food Museum along with
its Learning Centre is featuring and hosting
more events and attractions. The Fletcher
Wildlife Garden offers native gardens and
tours to explore urban nature. Government
groups (the National Capital Commission,
Parks Canada) are developing information
tools such as kiosks at the perimeter of
the Farm.
The Farm’s National Historical Site
Management Plan, prepared in 2003, says
T
Flora Ottawa 2017
"… the Farm was originally designed in a
period when public involvement was
expected, and encouraged… the public
community and the research community
were meant to meet and interact in the
core.”
There is a new initiative to bring an
international horticultural exhibition to
Ottawa and to the Farm. The purpose of
Flora Ottawa 2017 will be to promote
horticultural business while putting on an
extraordinary floral display attracting
visitors and tourists. The exhibition sites
include the proposed site for Canadensis
Botanical Garden, south of Fletcher
Wildlife Garden, as well as other local
areas, and the show has the potential for
launching Canadensis and creating more
indoor attractions at the Farm.
If it goes ahead, Flora Ottawa will
result in considerable new investment in
infrastructure and alter transportation
patterns around the Farm, leading up to
2017. This investment will need to be
integrated with other features of the Farm
to balance commercial interests with the
natural setting and public access to
existing areas. There’s also a need to
make improvements to the existing sites
to prepare for the increase in visits.
We need to make sure that, as we
move ahead with new initiatives, we
preserve and enhance the priceless
qualities of the Farm.
Une destination de choix
n regain d’intérêt s’annonce pour
faire de la Ferme expérimentale
centrale (la Ferme) une destination
de choix à l’intention des visiteurs dans la
région de la capitale nationale. Du printemps à l’automne, les Amis s’engagent
dans des projets destinés à mettre en
valeur l’Arboretum, les jardins ornementaux et le brise-vent Merivale. De concert
avec Agriculture et Agroalimentaire
Canada (AAC) et dans le cadre du programme des Amis de la Ferme 2017, ils
envisagent des travaux destinés à rénover
les structures, les bancs, les programmes,
les outils d’information et les aires
végétales. AAC élabore également des
outils, en particulier une visite
auto-guidée qui mènera les visiteurs à
découvrir les points saillants de la Ferme.
D’autres groupes également s’emploient
à faire renaître l’intérêt du public pour la
Ferme. Le Musée de l’agriculture et de
l’alimentation du Canada, autrefois le
musée agricole, ainsi que son centre
d’apprentissage, affichent et présentent un
plus grand nombre d’événements et
d’attractions, dont certains en hiver. Au
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Jardin écologique Fletcher, des massifs de
plantes indigènes et des visites guidées
permettront d’explorer la nature en milieu
urbain. Des groupes gouvernementaux, de
fait la CCN et Parcs Canada, travaillent à
l’élaboration d’instruments d’information,
soit des stands prévus à la limite de la
Ferme.
Le Plan directeur du lieu historique
national de la Ferme expérimentale
centrale, élaboré en 2003, précise que
« la Ferme a été conçue à une époque où
la participation du public était souhaitée,
voire encouragée… le public et la
communauté scientifique devant se
rencontrer dans la zone centrale ».
Flore Ottawa 2017
Une nouvelle initiative vient d’être
amorcée et elle consiste à présenter à
Ottawa et à la Ferme une exposition
horticole d’envergure internationale. Flore
Ottawa 2017 saura promouvoir l’entreprise
de l’horticulture avec un étalage floral des
plus spectaculaires qui favorisera la venue
des visiteurs et des touristes. Les sites
d’exposition incluront celui-là même prévu
pour le Jardin botanique Canadensis, au sud
du Jardin écologique Fletcher, ainsi que
d’autres secteurs des environs. En plus, un
tel spectacle est de bon augure pour le
lancement de Canadensis et la conception
d’un plus grand nombre activités
intérieures à la Ferme.
Si l’initiative va de l’avant, Flore Ottawa
favorisera de nouveaux investissements de
nature substantielle dans l’infrastructure et
permettra de modifier les réseaux de
transport aux alentours de la Ferme en
prévision de l’année 2017. De là découle la
nécessité d'intégrer ces investissements à
d’autres fonctionnalités de la Ferme pour
mettre en balance les intérêts commerciaux
avec l’environnement naturel et l’accès du
public aux secteurs existants. De plus, il
faudra apporter des améliorations aux
emplacements actuels en anticipation
d’une hausse dans le nombre de visites.
Alors que nous passons à l’action avec
de nouvelles initiatives, nous devons
pourtant veiller à la préservation et au
rehaussement des caractéristiques
inestimables de la Ferme.
Eric Jones
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Page 3
Peonies at the Farm (continued from Page 1)
Visit the Peonies!
Join Bill and his team for a
tour of the Farm’s peonies on
Saturday, June 7.
in 1944, have only now become readily
available to the home gardener due to
advances in propagation. Itohs combine
the colours and size of the tree peony
blossom with the hardiness of the herbaceous peony. They are described in a
separate article (Page 6) by Blaine Marchand.
The blooming season
The first peony to bloom at the Farm
is ‘Starlight’ and, guess what, it is a
Saunders peony and it is closely followed
by ‘Firelight’ another Saunders peony.
This is usually by the third week of May.
‘Red Charm’, the reference peony, usually
blooms by the 5th of June, while the big
doubles don’t bloom until the second and
third weeks of June. By the end of June
the bloom season is over, for an over-all
period of five weeks of bloom – although
admittedly sparse at the beginning and
sometimes shortened by abnormally hot
weather.
The blooming season is the best time
to view the peonies but even without
their blooms, the shapes of the plants and
the configuration of their leaves are
interesting. The collection is located in
14 beds at the north-east corner of the
R. Hinchcliff
Canadian breeders have not been
forgotten. The Farm’s collection includes
plants from Brown, Gilbert, Keagey,
Brethour, Lossing, Ericson, Cousins and
Ménard. Both ‘Elgin’, a peony developed
by William Brown of Elora, Ontario, and
‘Coral N’ Gold’ a peony developed by
Lyman Cousins of London, Ontario,
appeared on Canada Post stamps several
years ago. In fact, the picture for the ‘Elgin’
stamp was taken from the Farm’s own
plant. Perhaps the best peony known to the
Canadian public would be ‘Adrienne
Clarkson’ named for a former Governor
General and developed by Maurice Ménard
of Laval, Quebec. Two other plants developed by Mr. Ménard and in the collection
and dear to our hearts are the ‘Mary Pratte’
and the ‘George Vorauer’ peonies.
Itoh or Intersectional peonies were
recently added to the collection. These are
the result of a cross of tree peony and
herbaceous peony and, although developed
‘Adrienne Clarkson’
Ornamental Gardens beside the traffic
roundabout, and in two more beds just to
the north across the street in the campus
sector. Some individual plants are located
around the gardens and the Arboretum
houses a large bed of duplicate peonies
used as a reserve.
Passionate about peonies since the
mid-1980s, Bill Wegman has led the
Friends’ peony team for over 10 years
and runs the seed exchange for the
Canadian Peony Society. He has won
many awards at exhibitions with blooms
from his own large collection.
Ideas and Tips from Master Gardeners
ere are the 2014 talks by Master Gardeners, to be held
from 7 to 9 pm in Building 72, Arboretum, Central
Experimental Farm. You can sign up for individual
talks or the entire series. Individual talks: $12 FCEF members,
$15 others. Series of five talks: $50 FCEF members,
$60 others.
H
April 8 – Vegetable Growing Possibilities in the Urban
Landscape by Judith Cox
This experienced vegetable grower will give ideas and tips on
making the most of your vegetable space. Growing from
seeds, companion plantings, succession planting, crop
rotation, growing vegetables in pots and growing herbs, are
some of the topics to be discussed. Also, what to do about
common pests in the vegetable patch!
April 29 – Practical Pruning Techniques (yes you can
easily tackle this gardening task!) by Lee Boltwood
With good hand tools this experienced Master Gardener
assures you that you can do all the pruning in your garden
yourself! Just follow basic principles and your plants will
be healthier – and prettier.
May 13 – Trouble in Paradise: Common Garden Pests
and Diseases by Caroline Dabrus
Even with the best care and attention, your plants will
sometimes fall prey to insects or be undermined by disease and
infection. What can you do to protect your plants from some
of these problems and what if anything can you do to deal
with these plant ailments? This lecture will focus on some
of the common pests and diseases gardeners encounter and
on what to do if your garden falls under attack.
May 27 – Water Gardening, the Final Touch to Your
Landscape by Diane McClymont Peace
This talk will explore the benefits and challenges of water
features, be they small and simple or massive, and present
step-by-step details on siting, construction, maintenance, plants
and fish and their care.
September 9 – Spring Bulbs, an Essential for Every Garden!
by Mary Ann Van Berlo
Mary Ann will discuss naturalizing with bulbs and the use of
minor bulbs, she will offer suggestions for uncommon bulbs that
make a great addition to the garden, and she will share some
ideas on forcing bulbs indoors. Planting, maintenance and pest
control for spring bulbs will also be covered.
Page 4
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Upcoming Events
For more information, visit www.friendsofthefarm.ca or call 613-230-3276.
Craft and Bake Sale
• Saturday, April 26, 10 am to 4 pm.
• Take home the creations of area artisans
and delicious baked goods.
• Location: Parking lot beside K.W. Neatby
Building, Carling and Maple Drive, CEF.
• The Ottawa Food Bank will be onsite
to collect donations.
Rare and Unusual Plant Sale
• Sunday, May 11, 9 am to 1 pm.
• Enhance your garden with plants from
the many specialty growers and
nurseries gathered for this event.
• Master Gardeners of Ottawa Carleton
will be available to answer your
questions.
• Location: Parking lot beside K.W.
Neatby Building, Carling and Maple
Drive, CEF.
• The Ottawa Food Bank will be onsite to
collect donations.
Bus Trip to the “Great
Gardening Weekend”
• Saturday, May 24, 8 am to 7:30 pm.
• One day bus trip to the annual show at
Montreal Botanical Gardens.
• Over 100 exhibitors expected, selling
plants, specialty foods, artistic garden wares.
• After the show, a stop at Montreal’s
spectacular Jean Talon Market.
• Cost is $75 per person.
Tour of the Lilac Rows
• Saturday, May 24, 2 pm.
• Enjoy a guided tour of the CEF lilac
rows with the Friends of the Farm lilac
team. Discover the many lilac varieties
on display.
• Location: Macoun Garden, Ornamental
Gardens.
• Free admission; donations gratefully
accepted. No registration required.
Fletcher Wildlife Garden
Native Plant Sale
• Saturday, June 7, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
• Find native plants grown in the area.
• Volunteers and growers available to
answer questions and offer
suggestions.
• Free admission and parking at the FWG.
• For more information, email
fletcher@ofnc.ca or call 613-730-0714.
Preston Lilac Tour
• Saturday, June 7, 2 pm.
• Take a guided tour of the Preston
Heritage Lilac Collection with the
Friends of the Farm lilac team. Discover
the variety of lilacs that Isabella Preston
created at the CEF.
• Free admission; donations gratefully
accepted. No registration required.
Peony Tour
• Saturday, June 7, 9 am to noon.
• Enjoy a guided tour of the peony beds
at the CEF. Get tips on what would
work best in your garden and ways to
keep your peonies happy.
• The tour begins at the peony garden in
the Ornamental Gardens.
• Free admission; donations gratefully
accepted. No registration required.
Rose Workshop
• Sunday, June 15, 1 to 3 pm.
• A workshop on roses, rose pests and
diseases at the Heritage Rose Garden.
Information on the collection will be
available to help with a self-guided tour
of the roses. Bring a folding chair.
• Free admission; donations gratefully
accepted. No registration required.
Book Sale
• Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15,
from 10 am to 4 pm.
• Come and check out the thousands of
books. Stock up for your summer reading.
• Location: Building 72, Arboretum, CEF.
• Admission and parking are free.
Victorian Tea
• Sunday, July 13*,
2 to 4 pm.
• Classic tea served under the trees of
the Arboretum.
• Bring a patio chair
and listen to live
music.
• Enter the best hat
contest and
don period costume
(optional).
• Location: Building
72, CEF Arboretum.
• Admission and parking free;
formal tea $8.
Help Us Make a Difference
Join our volunteer teams this year in the Ornamental Gardens, Arboretum and Merivale Shelterbelt. Young or old, skilled or
unskilled, there are opportunities for all to enjoy.
Gardening begins in early May so get your forms in. To obtain a volunteer form, please visit our website at
www.friendsofthefarm.ca/volunteer.htm or call and leave a message for Donna Pape at 613-230-3276.
Volunteer Opportunity
- Events Director
Non-Dinner a Huge Success
The Friends of the Central Experimental Farm requires a
Director of Events to help plan and deliver a variety of
fundraising events, including bake and craft sales, art
exhibition, plant sale and Victorian Tea.
Experience in a non-profit setting working with
volunteers preferred. Position requires good communication
and organizational skills.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your
resume to volunteer@friendsofthefarm.ca or by mail to
Donna Pape, Director, Volunteers, Friends of the Central
Experimental Farm, Building 72, Arboretum, Ottawa, ON,
K1A 0C6.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish to thank
those who accepted our invitation to participate in the
Friends of the Farm non-dinner in December.
Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $5,000, which
will help the Friends carry out their various projects this
year.
I’m sure you would agree that all of us who did not
attend had a wonderful time and, of course, saved all those
taxi fares, tips, parking fees, baby-sitting fees and expensive
drinks.
Bert Titcomb
Director, Fundraising
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Page 5
Lynne Zeitouni: Love at First Sight
By Mary Ann Smythe
o say that the Experimental Farm has
played an important role in Lynne
Zeitouni's life is no exaggeration. Almost
from the moment she and her husband Sami
arrived in Ottawa from the United Kingdom
in 1969, the Farm became an integral part of
their lives
As newcomers, they explored the city and
when they discovered the Farm, it was love at
first sight. "I always showed it to visiting
friends and relatives," Lynne says, her voice
reflecting her passion for the Farm. "It was a
special place I wanted to show people and to
enjoy as much as possible." Lynne's enjoyment
included picnics with her husband after work
on many a summer's eve.
Well settled in Ottawa, Lynne returned to
school as a mature student. She graduated
from Algonquin College as a social services
worker and for nearly 20 years worked at the
Anglican Social Services Centre 454, a drop-in
centre for the homeless. When Lynne retired
in 2002, she looked for something useful and
enjoyable to do that was completely different
from her career. Given her love of the Farm
and of the outdoors, becoming a Friends'
volunteer was an obvious choice. "I plotted
and schemed to ensure I could make a
commitment to the Friends of the Farm." She
set aside Thursday mornings for one of the
gardening teams, and also said she would
help with fundraising events as needed. When
Lynne discovered that only the Peony Team
met on Thursdays, she was somewhat dismayed. "I knew nothing
about peonies and had no interest in them. Actually, I had never
really gardened and was intimidated by the prospect of working
with experts."
Fast forward almost 12 years. Lynne, once hesitant gardener, is
now a peony lover to the core. "I think it is a real hoot," she says
of her transformation, which also includes a lifetime membership
in the Canadian Peony Society (CPS). Almost immediately upon
joining the Peony Team she was hooked. "I wanted to go to all the
CPS national shows. It was so exciting and there was so much to
learn." Lynne served as a judge's clerk at one of the shows,
welcoming the chance to expand her knowledge. Within the
Peony Team she has graduated from "assistant" to "chief cutter."
She now cuts the flowers for the CPS shows that the team enters
and has assistants who help with the painstaking task. "They
presume I know what I'm doing," she laughs.
The team has won many ribbons at the shows, which speaks
volumes for their collective expertise. Lynne is quick to credit
Jean-Pascal (JP) Gratton, Supervisor of the Ornamental Gardens
and Arboretum, for his support and appreciation of the team's
efforts and accomplishments. She also hails Bill Wegman as a
"great and knowledgeable" team leader, and pays special tribute
to Mary Pratte, former team advisor, who was instrumental in
maintaining the collection when the future of the Ornamental
Gardens was in doubt, and who warmly welcomed Lynne to the
Polly McColl
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team and generously shared her knowledge and advice.
Beyond the Farm, Lynne's life is full. She and Sami travel
together. She loves jewellery and is rarely without an eye-catching
creation that draws admiration. As a volunteer with and member
of the Ottawa Bead Society, Lynne makes some of her own
jewellery, but confesses to buying more than she makes.
She is also an active member of Embellissement Vanier
Beautification, a group that's helping to beautify the "colourful"
neighbourhood that the Zeitounis call home. Lynne has adopted
five planters, which boast an array of peonies donated by Bill
Wegman. Peony Team member and CPS Past-President Blaine
Marchand also offered mature roots from his own collection,
some of which stand guard over the small Vanier Cenotaph.
On a frigid January morning when one wonders if there is life
under the frozen ground, Lynne is already looking forward to
seeing her favourite peonies in bloom. Their beauty still astounds
her and she is wowed by the fact that she has had a hand in
creating that beauty. "I feel I'm doing something worthwhile,
not just filling time," Lynne says of her work on the Peony Team,
"and also helping to safeguard the future of the place that has
brought me so much joy. But I also do it for my own pleasure.
I'm doing something I like in a place I love with people I enjoy."
Among the dozens of other volunteer profiles by Mary Ann
Smythe was one of Bill Wegman in our Spring 2010 newsletter.
Page 6
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Patience, Perseverance and Itoh Peonies
By Blaine Marchand
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle
ow applicable is this maxim to the creation of the Itoh
peonies, also known as intersectionals, crosses between
a tree peony and an herbaceous one. Hybridizing of
peonies has a long illustrious history, but the genesis for the
introduction of intersectional peonies has its origins in the early
1900s with initial hybridization experiments of breeders Victor
Lemoine and Louis Henry and later Professor A. P. Saunders
(whose family connection to the Central Experimental Farm is
well known and whose hybrid peonies have a formidable
presence in the Farm’s collection).
H
“The strongest of all warriors are these two
— Time and Patience.”
Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace)
It was in 1948 that Toichi Itoh, a Japanese hybridizer – and
a most patient person indeed – hit gold. Rumours persist he
attempted over 2,000 crosses before succeeding with a cross
between the lactiflora peony, ‘Kakoden’, and the tree peony,
‘Alice Harding’. The result was seven seedlings that had the tree
peony as their dominant characteristic. Unfortunately, Dr. Itoh
did not live to see his seedlings bloom.
These intersectional hybrids, that bear his name Itoh,
have lush magnificent paper-like blooms, reminiscent of those
of the tree peony, but the abundant foliage of an herbaceous
peony. They do not require staking and rain does not weigh down
the blooms. Itohs, like herbaceous peonies, need to be cut down
each autumn and as buds are set below ground, they are winter
hardy, a bonus for Ottawa’s climate. The intersectional peonies
come in a range of magnificent colours – yellow, pink, maroon,
fuchsia and multicoloured. When in bloom, the Itoh peonies
in the Farm’s Ornamental Gardens consistently stop people
in their tracks.
‘Julia Rose’
Introduction to North America
In the 1970s, an American breeder, Louis Smirnow,
negotiated with Dr. Itoh’s widow to introduce four of her
husband’s peonies into North America. These he had named:
‘Yellow Crown’, ‘Yellow Dream’, ‘Yellow Emperor’ and ‘Yellow
Heaven’. Peony aficionados were smitten. But these peonies,
initially scarce, came with a steep price tag. They were largely
sold to peony enthusiasts or obsessive buyers.
Other hybridizers in the United States – Roger Anderson,
Don Hollingsworth, Donald Smith and Irene Tolomeo to name
a few – continued the work of Toichi Itoh on intersectional
hybridizing. They created some truly sensational peonies.
In Canada, Serge Fafard, of Les Jardins Osiris, also breeds
intersectionals.
Itoh propagation
As Itohs are derived from tree peonies, they produce an
expansive root system that makes root division, the usual way to
obtain new peony plants, a tough job and all too frequently results
in few new plants that then take years to reach maturity and
produce blooms. One alternative, of course, is to graft the
intersectional to a nurse root of an herbaceous peony, which, like
a parent, provides food and strength until the intersectional roots
are set and strong enough to take over.
‘Sequestered Sunshine’
Mary Pratte’s Favourite Peonies
Mary Pratte, former advisor to the Friends of the Farm
peony team, presented her favourite peonies in the January
2014 issue of OHS News, the newsletter of the Ottawa
Horticulture Society. “While it is almost impossible,” she wrote,
“to pick only a few favourites from the thousands of peonies
available these days, there are some which really make my
heart beat faster.”
To become a member of the society and read the OHS News,
go to the website at www.ottawahort.org.
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Another option is micro-propagation, which is essentially
growing plants from tissue or cell culture under controlled
conditions. The result is Itohs that can be produced quickly and
offered to buyers sooner at a more affordable price.
Page 7
Itohs at the Farm
In 2009, the Canadian branch of Plantek International,
which is one of the leading micro-propagation companies,
contacted Mary Pratte, advisor to the Friends’ peony team, with
a very generous donation of 24 plants. Among these were
benchmark Itohs – ‘Smith Family Yellow’, ‘Going Bananas’,
‘Sequestered Sunshine’, ‘Singing in the Rain’, ‘Yankee Doodle
Dandy’, ‘Cora Louise’, ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ and ‘Julia Rose’.
“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
– Benjamin Franklin
A walk through the peony garden in 2014 will show that the
number of Itohs in the Farm’s impressive collection has grown to
42, with 26 different named varieties. Among these is Serge
Fafard’s wonderful ‘Osiris Tourbillon’. But also among them are
la crème de la crème – Roger Anderson’s ‘First Arrival’ and ‘Julia
Rose’, Donald Smith’s ‘Morning Lilac’, and Don Hollingsworth’s
‘Garden Treasure’. A look at these peonies underlines that
patience and persistence do indeed bring sweet rewards.
Photos by R. Hinchcliff
‘Magical Mystery Tour’. A bloom from this Itoh peony was a first
place winner at the 2013 Canadian Peony Society (CPS) show
A happy member of the Friends’ peony team since
retirement, Blaine also tends to a collection of over
500 peonies in Osceola, Ontario. Past president of the
Canadian Peony Society and editor of its newsletter,
Paeonia Nordica, he is the author of eight books.
‘First Arrival’
'Smith Family Yellow'
For More About Peonies
Edible Peonies?
Join other peony lovers at the Canadian Peony Society.
The latest issue of the Society’s quarterly newsletter Paeonia
Nordica includes a charming account by Anne Johnston, a
scientist at the Central Experimental Farm, of the fun she’s
had so far hybridizing peonies. We look forward to reading
about her first flowers this year.
To learn about the CPA visit the website at www.peony.ca.
“In the fourteenth century, peony roots were deemed a
food fit exclusively for kings … In China, the fallen petals are
parboiled and sweetened as a teatime delicacy. Blown petals
add haunting perfume to a summer salad.”
(www.epicurean.com)
And what about peony cookies for a teatime treat? Come
to our Spring Craft and Bake Sale on April 26 and buy one, or
a set of four, at the Friends’ table. Quantities will be limited,
so come early!
Page 8
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Stereo (and other) Views of the Farm
By Richard Hinchcliff
everley Brown of Ottawa remembers when she was a child
at her grandmother’s house, looking through a viewer at
stereo pictures. She has a box of those stereo picture cards
now and looks forward to showing her grandchildren “the iPad of
their great, great grandparents’ day.”
The viewer (known as a stereoscope) originated in the 1850s.
It has two lenses for the viewer and a stand to hold the picture
card (stereogram).
A few of Beverley’s stereograms feature the Central
Experimental Farm in the early 1900s. There are the stately
homes of the director and dominion cerealist, and a fascinating
set showing the Dominion Observatory under construction.
B
Stereopticon and magic lantern shows
A social club was started in 1891 for those living on the
Farm. Meetings were held every two weeks during winter
months. Sarah Agnes Saunders wrote in 1895 in the Ottawa
Journal that, although someone usually spoke about what they
were working on, “… at times the programme assumes a lighter
character … occasionally we have an evening of music, readings
or a stereopticon entertainment for which we are indebted to
some kind friend in the city.”
Despite its name, the stereopticon had nothing to do with
stereo images for 3D viewing. It was a “Magic Lantern” projector
with two lenses that allowed one image to dissolve into another
during a show.
Magic lanterns using glass plate slides originated in the
17th century. Photographs began to be used in the 19th century
and the stereopticon projector was another step forward. Not
all magic lanterns, however, were stereopticons. The more
common version had just one lens.
Magic lantern slide shows were a popular educational tool
for the experimental farms of Canada. In 1929, over 100 sets of
slides were distributed. For example, at a horticultural society
meeting that year in Beaverton, Ontario, 800 adults watched a
slide show, comprising 200 slides on home beautification.
Photos of the Ornamental Gardens and its flowers would have
been included.
Norman Rockwell’s boy is captivated by the
3D experience of a stereoscope
Stereo slides
A new version of the stereogram became popular in the
1950s. Cameras were produced that used 35 mm film to take
stereo photos, which were mounted for use in a special
3D viewer.
Dr. Walter S. Barnhart used one of these cameras to take
stereo colour slide photographs at the Farm in about 1950.
There are shots of the Ornamental Gardens, one photo of the
Dominion Observatory, and one intriguing view in the Arboretum
(see next page).
The delightful set of glass-mounted slides is in the photo
collection of Michel Lafleur, photo historian, collector, and
former Le Droit photographer. There are dozens of slides of
Europe where, Michel suspects, Dr. Barnhart travelled in
connection with his profession as a medical doctor specializing
in respiratory ailments.
This stereogram from Beverley Brown’s box depicts the residence of the dominion cerealist, in the early 1900s
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Page 9
Ten Acres Added to the Arboretum
he Arboretum expanded by 10 acres after
World War II, when land south of Dow’s Lake
alongside the canal was reclaimed. The project
began in 1946.
The view in the photograph to the right, taken in
the Arboretum around 1950 is southeast from the
southern lookout. There is a picnic in progress under
the crabapple tree and a red canoe on the water.
In the far distance alongside the canal is the recently
reclaimed land, yet to be planted. The canal was
dredged and the fill used in what had been a swamp.
“The project is the clearing and filling-in of a 10-acre
extent of swamp land, which for many years has been
an eyesore, a breeding-ground for mosquitoes and
other insect pests, and a source of weeds which are
said to have been killing fish in the Rideau Canal and
have impeded navigation.” (The Ottawa Journal,
November 5, 1946)
The ‘Rideau’, a government vessel, dredged the
canal. A retaining wall was built to close off the area,
which, when filled, gave additional acreage to the
Arboretum. It was noted that “great masses of willows
and alders” would be “cleared from the marsh, leaving
only a few tall tamarack trees standing.”
The three aerial photos below are of the same area
in the Arboretum in 1930, 1950 and 2011. Dr. Barnhart
took his photo from the lookout in the upper left. The
light coloured area in the 1950 photo is part of the
reclaimed land. The 1930 photo shows the canal shore
before the landfill.
(With thanks to Michel Lafleur)
Coll. Michel Lafleur
T
NAPL A2181-61 and A12174-26; Google Earth
View of the Arboretum c.1950. Photo by Dr. W. Barnhart
The Friends of the Central Experimental Farm is a volunteer organization committed to the maintenance and protection of the
Ornamental Gardens and the Arboretum of the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Membership in the
Friends of the Farm costs $25 per year for an individual and $45 per year for a family, $20 Seniors/Students. Membership fees
support the many projects of the Friends of the Farm.
The Newsletter (ISSN 1702-2762) is published four times a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) by Friends of the Central
Experimental Farm. All members receive the newsletter and it is sent either by regular mail or e-mail. Editor: Richard Hinchcliff.
Assistant Editor: Barbara Woodward. Design & Printing: Nancy Poirier Printing. Contributors: Mary Ann Smythe, Bill Wegman,
Lynne Zeitouni. Translator: Lise Anne James.
Friends of the Farm
Building 72, Central Experimental Farm
Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6
Telephone: 613-230-3276
Fax:
613-230-1238
E-mail:
info@friendsofthefarm.ca
www.friendsofthefarm.ca
Page 10
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Featuring the Farm’s Magnolias
s mentioned by Bill Wegman
(Page 3), Canada Post's
flower series of stamps in
2008 featured the peonies 'Elgin'
and 'Coral N' Gold'. Last year,
magnolias were on the stamps. And
again, the images were captured at
the Central Experimental Farm.
Stamp Design Manager Danielle
Trottier had long wanted to
celebrate the magnolia as part of
this flower series of stamps,
according to the Canada Post
website. “We have featured
indigenous flower varieties
and hybrids developed for the
Canadian climate, and magnolias
fall into the latter group. But a lot
of Canadians would be surprised to learn how many varieties
of this southern flower can flourish here.”
Photographer and designer Isabelle Toussaint visited the
Farm in May 2011 and photographed a number of the typical
white and pink magnolias. But “we wanted to show a less
known variety of flower in the stamp duo. We learned that the
rarer yellow magnolias would bloom two weeks later, so I made
a second trip to photograph them on a beautiful sunny day. The
choice was so vast that we could pick three more hybrids for
the souvenir sheet, the Official First Day Cover and the inside
of the booklet.”
The two magnolias selected were ‘Yellow Bird,’ which,
when closed, according to Canada Post, “is reminiscent
of a tulip waiting to bloom,” and ‘Eskimo,’ with its
Canada Post
A
‘Yellow Bird’ and ‘Eskimo’
“large cup flowers in white with a hint of lavender.”
The magnolia chosen for the Official First Day Cover was
‘Leonard Messel’, a favourite at the Farm, especially
the beautiful specimen in the scented border at the
Ornamental Gardens.
Isabelle adds, “Since the magnolia is a tree and the flowers
extend beyond the leaves, there was a bare effect, so I chose
to keep the sky in the background, on both the stamps and
the other collectibles.”
The magnolias were the latest in a series of flower
stamps. Lilacs and sunflowers, as well as peonies, were
photographed at the Farm for stamp sets in previous
collaborations between staff at the Arboretum and
Ornamental Gardens and Canada Post.
Great Gardening Weekend at Montreal Botanical Gardens
The first bus is sold out! We are now taking reservations for the second bus!
Our one-day excursion on May 24 promises to be a lot of fun. Over 100 exhibitors await us with their plants and specialty foods at
the Montreal Botanical Garden’s annual Great Gardening Weekend. A stop at the spectacular Jean Talon Market on our return journey
is the bonus of the day.
The response has been excellent. Don’t miss a seat on the bus. Make your reservation by calling 613-230-3276 or go to the Events
page on our web site to download the reservation form. Don't delay, call today!
Denise Kennedy
NEW MEMBER REGISTRATION FORM
TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP
NAME:
FAMILY ................................................................... $45/year
ADDRESS:
CITY:
ADULT ..................................................................... $25/year
POSTAL CODE:
SENIOR/STUDENT................................................. $20/year
PROVINCE:
BASIC CORPORATE .............................................. $250/year
TELEPHONE #:
NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION............................ $25/year
FAX #:
INDIVIDUAL LIFE ................................................. $200
E-MAIL:
SENIOR COUPLE LIFE .......................................... $250
INTEREST IN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
DONATION ............................................................. $
YES ❑
NO
❑
TOTAL
$
Please make cheque or money order payable to:
“Friends of the Farm.” A receipt for income tax
purposes will be issued for all donations of $10
or more.
We are located at Building 72 in the Arboretum.
You can visit us or mail this part of the form with
your payment to:
FRIENdS OF THE CENTRAL ExPERIMENTAL FARM
Building 72, Central Experimental Farm
Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6
Telephone: 613-230-3276
Fax: 613-230-1238
Email: info@friendsofthefarm.ca
Website: www.friendsofthefarm.ca
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Page 11
Selecting and Preparing Blooms … (continued from Page 12)
that is well
sealed. The
flowers will
produce some
moisture within
the bag, but the
paper will
absorb any
excess moisture
so the buds do
Show room at Rosemère, 2013
not come in
contact with
much more delicate and this needs
wet plastic. The outer cover could be
to be taken into consideration.
either an old bread bag or a plastic bag
Experience counts when cutting
from a newspaper without holes.
tree peonies!
• Itoh peonies: their petal texture is
Presentation
more substantial, which means these
On the day of a CPS show all the
peonies produce excellent cut flowers
careful selection, cutting and storing pays
as well as show blooms. When their
off during set-up for presentation when
pointed buds show colour and are
time is limited. Exhibitors are required to
marshmallow soft they can be harvested.
bring in and prepare their blooms early in
Cold storage to
delay blooming
Once cut, trimmed and tagged, a bud
is placed upright into a bucket and then
put in cold storage to await show day.
Cut peonies can be stored in cool
temperatures (around 1-2 degrees C.)
for several weeks, either:
• uncovered, stems in 2-3 inches of
water, in a ‘beer’ type fridge (not frost
free) and there needs to be moisture in
the air to prevent the flower from
drying out; or
• dry, wrapped in dry newspaper and
inserted into a good quality plastic bag
the morning before 10am. Judging takes
place between 10 am and 1 pm, after
which the doors are open to the public
and exhibitors can finally see how
they’ve done.
In setting-up, the first step is to place
the blooms in the individual vases
provided. This is the time to examine each
bloom, because not all will have survived
storage and/or opened to perfect form,
which is why it’s important to have more
than one bud from each cultivar. Bill looks
for blooms that are just about to reach
their peak in opening, noting that “there
are no ribbons for blooms that open
tomorrow or those whose petals fall
before the judges’ eyes, but believe me
this happens. I look for blooms that are
symmetrical, have good colour and stand
out from the others.”
Bill observes that presenters vary in
their approach: some choose quickly and
take their chances, while others take a
long time to set-up, “as though their lives
depended on their choices.” Once a
bloom is chosen, an entry tag is filled in
and attached, showing the name of the
bloom and the class entered. The
exhibitor’s name is written on the bottom
of the form, which is then folded so that
the exhibitor’s name is hidden from the
judges. There is a parallel series of classes
comprising three blooms (of the same
variety) in a vase. Naturally, the key to
success here is to have three equal-sized
blooms, which is difficult to achieve but a
joy to behold. As Bill says, “all in all there
is a lot of work in preparation, but the
results are a delightful sight and well
worth the effort.”
‘Cora Louise’, an Itoh that was a first
place winner for the Farm at the
2013 CPS show
A Friend’s Outstanding Garden
Kate Harrigan
Congratulations to Kate Harrigan and Bill Collins for their
award-winning garden last year. Each year, the Trillium Award is
presented by the Ottawa Horticultural Society to the most
outstanding front yard garden in a specific postal code area of the
city. In 2013, the area chosen included Kate and Bill’s Parkdale
Avenue home, and their garden was the winner.
The purpose of the award is to recognize efforts by citizens to
beautify Ottawa neighbourhoods through their gardens. From spring
to fall, front yard gardens are viewed from the street and judged on
their overall design including bed layout, framing, balance, variety of
plant material, colours, condition and maintenance.
Tree peonies are a special feature of Kate and Bill’s garden. After
consulting other peony experts, Blaine Marchand believes that Kate’s
tree peony in the photo is 'Shima-nishiki', or fire flame, a striped
peony with split colour petals.
Kate recently launched our monthly “Farm Notes” e-mail, which
keeps us up-to-date with Friends’ events and activities. If you have
not received it, please let us know at news@friendsofthefarm.ca or
call us at 613-230-3276.
Peony 'Shima-nishiki'
Page 12
Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Spring 2014
Selecting and Preparing Blooms for Shows
(and Your Home)
By Bill Wegman and Lynne Zeitouni, with technical advice from Mary Pratte
Bill Wegman putting final touches to the
2013 peony entries from the Farm
R. Hinchcliff
T
he Farm’s entry in the 2013 Canadian
Peony Society’s annual show in
Rosemère, Quebec, was a great
success. Friends of the Farm peony team
volunteers Bill Wegman and Lynne Zeitouni
collected, prepared and entered a
wonderful selection of peonies that won
21 ribbons: seven firsts, five seconds, five
thirds and four fourths. Two of the first
place flowers were sent to the head table
for consideration in the Best of Show
selection. This is currently our best
showing “at least for now” says Bill. Both he
and Lynne are happy to share their
expertise on choosing, cutting, storing and
preparing blooms for a show, and as Lynne
notes, “One can do exactly the same thing
for home-cut flower use.”
Interestingly, an earlier CPS annual
exhibition – held at Rideau Hall in 2001 –
coincided with Bill and Lynne’s
involvement on the peony team. That’s
where Bill’s entry, ‘Doris Cooper,’ won
Best in Show and he met Mary Pratte, who
introduced him to the Friends’ peony
team, which he now leads. Bill attends as
many of the CPS shows as he can, saying
the experience is rewarding for “the
beauty of the blooms, the surprise and
delight on people’s faces when they see
the judging results, the story telling and
the serious discussions among peony
lovers.”
For Lynne, 2001 was the year she
began volunteering on the peony team
and the year she attended her very first
CPS show. She vividly recalls the CPS
presenting the then Governor General
with “a beautiful yellow, Canadian-bred
hybrid peony (Ménard/D’Aoust) named
‘Adrienne Clarkson’.” Since then, Lynne
has been to every CPS annual show within
reasonable travelling distance of Ottawa.
‘Bordeaux’. A flower from this peony was placed on the head table and
considered for 2013 Best of Show
And for the past two years she has cut
winning blooms from the Farm’s peony
collection for entry in the CPS’s annual
show.
Lynne says it’s possible to use the
same selection, cutting and storage
techniques for home-cut flowers and,
while “cutting and storing peonies for
show or personal use may sound a little
intimidating, these flowers are very
forgiving and it is worth the effort.”
Selecting and
cutting buds
In general, blooms can be cut up to
three weeks in advance and held in cold
storage, which allows the earlier
blooming single and Japanese types to be
shown alongside the semi- and double
varieties that open later. Bill stresses the
importance of cutting at early bud stage.
“For short-term storage and with most
double flowers it’s better to cut flowers
when in the soft bud stage. Many
single-form flower types open more easily
and thus the buds ought to be firmer.”
While bud selection is a trial and error
process, if you follow the tips noted
below, Lynne says, “you will certainly be
rewarded with glorious blooms that
potentially receive award ribbons or
give pleasure at home for a surprisingly
long time.”
For all varieties, Lynne advises:
• take no more than 1/3 of buds or
blooms per plant, otherwise you
decrease growth for the following year
• cut a 14 – 16 inch stem above a set of
leaves that will allow for a stem of
12 inches when making the final cut
• cut buds in the morning, preferably on
a cloudy, dry day; moisture on the
petals might cause unsightly browning
• side buds are not left on show blooms;
they can be pinched off early in the
season or carefully removed very close
to the stem just before displaying.
Notable similarities and variations
between specific herbaceous, tree and
Itoh peonies include:
• Herbaceous peonies: single, loose
anemone (full) and Japanese peonies
should be cut as the bud shows colour.
Anemone, semi double and double
types ideally should be chosen when
the bud feels like a soft marshmallow.
Very full doubles need to be slightly
more open on the stem before
selection as they will either never open
or take a very long time before they
open completely.
• Tree peonies: in general, the bud
selection is the same as for herbaceous
peonies, however, their flowers are
Continued on Page 11